Re: 338 edge build ?'s/opinions
Lawton 7500 single shot
Rock 1-9.4 twist 30"
Jewel Trigger
Badger Bottom Metal ( the mag well makes a nifty compartment for ear plugs and drop chart)
MCM A-5 Desert Camo
NXS 5.5-22X50 NP-R1
NXS UL Rings
Lawton 20 MOA rail
Test target (the one above) was shot @ 300 yds (supposedly)
My target below was shot @ 200 yards off a bench using my bipod and rear bag.
Well I was all giddy when I first got the rifle.
I put a couple hundred rounds thru the thing trying to get it to shoot anywhere near what the guy that built it did on the test target (trying different powder charges, OAL, different lots of primers).
I took the rifle apart to check the bedding and what not and for some reason decided to just give the barreled action a twist while I had it in my hands and the fracking barrel spun loose! Well I was shocked. WTF! No wonder I was having no luck getting the damn thing to shoot. With the barrel snapped back hand tight and put back in the stock you could not begin to even twist the barrel loose. But there was enough slack when firing a round that was causing the problem. I was having failure to fire situations as well.
I sent the barreled action back (because that's all the guy wanted me to send, why wouldn't he want the whole thing back to give it all the once over?) and he set the barrel back and re-chambered it and sent it back. When I got it back the chamber was not throated how I originally had him do it. I originally had the chamber throated so that the bearing surface/boat tail junction was at the neck/shoulder junction, but now the bullets are seated almost 1/4" shorter than before. Well I didn't feel like sending the thing back again so I am shooting it as is.
I know that everyone is allowed a slip up now and then, but don't most 'smiths have a check list for every stage of the build to keep things like this from happening? Shouldn't he have double checked his work? When I was going over the build spec's with him, he assured me that this would be one of the most dependable and accurate rifles that I had ever owned.
As far as wishing I had went the 338 Lapua .... well you have the option of using factory ammo if need be. You have a much stronger piece of brass to work with, and you don't have to do any neck stretching.
I felt that going with the EDGE would be cheaper on my wallet but in the whole scheme of things it wasn't.
But since you have the receiver already, you are pretty much set to go with the EDGE.
Oh, one more thing. If you have not ordered your stock yet, get it with the KMW adj cheek hardware. Balls to the wall tough and you only need to loosen ONE screw to move the cheek piece. I learned this after I had this rifle built. Now ALL of my precision rifles will have the KMW hardware.
Blackburn, you have a shooter if Kirby built yours. He does top notch work.
